Voorgevel van Kasteel Hoensbroek 1903

This is a photo of Voorgevel van Kasteel Hoensbroek by an anonymous photographer. The sepia tones are really atmospheric, like a half-remembered dream. What strikes me is the texture; the surface almost seems to ripple, doesn't it? It's as though you could reach out and touch the aged stone of the castle. I love the way that the light catches on the rounded turrets, softening the edges. There’s a mistiness here, a sort of romantic haze. This isn't a sharp, objective record, but a felt impression of a place. Look closely at the windows; they seem to be peering out at us. There's something about this image that reminds me of Eugène Atget, that sense of capturing a place that has its own story to tell. This photograph invites us to imagine the history held within those walls, the lives lived, the secrets kept.